Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-01-07
The Governors Message.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the General


Mr. President and Gentlemen of the General
Assembly:
I greet you as men to whom, by the suf-
frages of free people, has been committed
the supreme power in the State, a power
limited only by the constitution itself. The
prerogative of legislation, with all its honor
is you who command, it is I who execute;
but whether it be ours to declare the will of
the people or simply in lower sphere to full
fill it, trust that we shall know no ambi-
tion except to faithfully serve the common
wealth.
STATE FINANCES
The finances of the State are in highly
satisfactory condition. At the beginning of
the present fiscal year, that is on the first
day of lest July, the funded debt of the
State was four millions, two hundred and
seventy one thousand and two hundred dol
lars GA, ,271 ,200.) Of this debt bonds bear
ing interest at the rate of five per cent, and
amounting to one million and thirty thou
sand dollars ($1 ,030. .000), are due May first,
1897, but are redeemable at the pleasure of
the State after the first of next May. rec
ommend that these bonds be paid as soon as
they become redeemable, and that funds for
this purpose be provided by the issue of new
bonds bearing interest at the rate of three
per cent, and payable thirty years from
date. Such bonds could doubtless be sold
at premium, and no one can question the
wisdom of just legislation which will save
to the State more than twenty thousand dol
lars year. 1t seems right that upon the
next generation should fall the burden of the
final payment of this part of debt which
was SO largely incurred IN preserving and
handing down to posterity the institutions
which came to US from the fathers. This
duty the people of the next generation will
nn nrIv O1adlv h7t
Der with gratitude the wise legislation, the
personal integrity and the self sacrifice which
will have made for them the burden so little
The large balance of cash in the treasury at
the beginning of the last fiscal year was
owing 10? the then recent sale of new bonds,
which had been issued for the purpose of
paving that portion of the State debt which
was then maturing. The decrease in cash,
as shown at the end of the year, suggests
no change in legislation. The important
and significant facts are that at the close
of the last fiscal year the cash on hand
was two hundred and thirty thousand four
hundred and forty-two dollars and forty
eight cents $3.50, ,442 49,, and that during
that year the ordinary receipts of the treas
ury exceeded its disbursements for ordina-
ry expenses by more than three hundred
thousand dollars.
For the year ending the thirtieth of last
June there came into the treasury through
the ordinary sources of revenue the sum of
one million eight hundred and thirteen
thousand seven hundred and one dollars
and seventy-eight cents Isl, ,813, 701.78) OF
the items that made up this amount the
principal ones We're as follows:
Received in taxes from the towns, four
hundred and thirty seven thousad four
hundred and seventy-one dollars and
.lx.y-nine cents (s4s7.471. go; in taxes
from railroad companies, six hundred and
twenty-six Thousand one hundred and
ninety-nine dollars and forty nine
cents 1926, 1893. .49); in taxes from
mutual insurance companies, two hundred
and twenty five thousand four hundred and
eighty-four dollars and fourteen cents (S225,
4S4. 14): IN taxes from savings banks, two
hundred thousand five hundred and ninety
dollars and sixty one cents ($20O. 500. 61); in
taxes from military subjects, one hundred
and two thousand four hundred and sew
enty-two dollars and ten cents ($102, ,472.-
10); and in taxes from non resident stock
holders, seventy one thousand five hundred
and forty-nine dollars and forty six cents
(S71 ,549. .46.)
During the same year there was paid out
from the treasury for ordinary expenses Gn-
cluding the interest on the State debit the
sum of one million five hundred and eIev-
en- Thousand six hundred and ninety seven
dollars and ffty-two cents 81, ,511 ,697. 52. }
Of this sum the principal items were as
follows:
Paid out for judicial expenses, two hun
dred and forty one Thousand eight hundred
and thirty eight dollars and thirty-one
cents ($241 1888. 31); for common schools quot
including the amount paid from the school
fund.-, two hundred and thirty-two thou
sand six hundred and seventy one dollars
($232 ,67); for humane institutions, one
hundred and seventy-three thousand nine
hundred and six dollars and five cents
(s173, 906 05); for sessions of the last Gene
raj Assembly, one hundred and Elk thou
sand and five dollars and seventy one cents
(S106, ,00o. ny; for the National Guard, nine
ty-nipe Thousand three hundred and nine
ty four dollars and sixty-three cents ($99 :
394. 63); for board of prisoners in county
jails, eighty-one thousand one hundred and
eight dollars and eighty three cents 1881,
108. .S3); for State Reform school, fifty eight
thousand nine hundred and nineteen dol
lars and forty cents 1858, ,919. .40); and for
interest on State bonds, one hundred and
ninety nine thousand two hundred and for
ty-six dollars and seventy eight cents
(S199, ,246. .7S)
The extraordinary expenses of the present
fiscal year will be considerable. They will
mainly result from the building of the new
armories and from the enlargement and i'm
provement of the State prison These ex-
penses were authorized by the last General
Assembly and provision was made to meet
GuSHl Dy uH luCFOdS6 10 Two HILLS OF CQ0 Tax
on the towns. AS this provision was ample
you will doubtless deem it safe and therefore
wise to reduce this tax for the coming year
to the previous rate of mill and a quarter.
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
I commend to your careful perusaI the re-
port of the adjutant general of the State.
The National Guard is now composed of
twenty two hundred and forty four (2,244)
officers and men. Though small in numbers
its efficiency is such as to promise ample pro-
lection in any emergency that is likely to
arise. Its discipline and appearance are mat
ters of State pride and praise.
Before the close of the present year a new
and neat uniform will have been furnished
to the entire Guard, and that, too, without
any extra appropriation from the State. You
will fully appreciate the ability and the care
which have accompanied these results when
you consider that the military tax fully meets
all tne ordinary expenses of the National
Guard.
The last legislature authorized the build
ing of new armories at New Britain and Nor
walk and the purchase of the one occupied at
Hartford, with the condition that the total
expenditure should not exceed the sum of
one hundred thousand dollars (S100, ,000).
Contracts effecting these objects have already
been made and involve total expenditure of
about ninety-two thousand dollars (s92, ,000),
a saving to the treasury of the State of
eight thousand dollars CSC, 000).
WAR RECORDS.
The last General Assembly authorized the
compiling of new catalogue of Connecticut
Volunteers in the war of the rebellion and
the procuring from the general government
of the records of service of Connecticut sol
diers in the previous wars of the nation.
Satisfactory progress has been made in
this work and records of great value, as evil
dence or reference, are becoming the proper
erty of the State.
AGRICULTURE.
The different institutions supported in
whole or in part by State appropriation are
working together in harmony, and seem to be
doing all that could reasonably be expected.
The secretary of the board of agriculture re-
ports that the question of the title to the
Storrs school proper ty has been satisfactorily
settled. Since the last report the Agricul-
tural experiment station has been largely en-
gagged in the examination of commercial fer
tilizers and feeding stuffs, and in the analysis
ofsswhat was suspected to be imitation butter;
xzbinh in Of